Work Ethic

Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. denies knowing about the zoning case his employer lost when he proposed a bill two days later that apparently would have negated the decision. He says he just wanted Marylanders to have the benefit of better cell phone service. The incident, and subsequent warning from the General Assembly's ethics committee, was the latest commotion surrounding the brash freshman Democrat from Prince George's County. Gregarious and fun-loving, Giannetti nevertheless has managed to alienate many colleagues and constituents with his voting, judgment and way of doing business.

Nicole McAllister can't keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks. This shy, industrious woman sits next to her daughter at the Johns Hopkins Club, where Nicole McAllister has worked as a waitress for 17 years. And her boss, general manager Cem Baraz, has come to praise her on this special occasion. "Nicole is one of those folks you feel good about," he begins. "She brings such a work ethic, and it has been part of our joy to see her daughter come around. " The tears come faster now. McAllister's daughter, Kearra Carter, is dabbing her eyes as well.

Like father, like daughter. The pedigree is evident as UMBC junior point guard Jessie Brown flits about the court, seemingly everywhere at once, with her love of the game glaring. Like her father, Tom, a former pro football and baseball player, she impresses as someone who was born to play sports. And like him, perhaps later in life she will pass along her knowledge to her children. In every conversation about Jessie Brown, two phrases dominate: "work ethic" and "hates to lose." "There are probably more talented players.

Adam Boog won more than 20 matches last winter for North Carroll, took a Carroll County championship, finished third in the region, and won a match at the state tournament.That pleased him, but Boog decided that he wanted more for this, his senior season. He wanted to be the best."I wanted to excel. I wanted to win the states," said Boog, who has taken some large steps toward that goal. The 171-pounder was 16-2 with 10 pins though last weekend's competition. He was a major force in helping No. 15-ranked North Carroll get off to a 6-2 start -- including last week's 32-30 upset of No. 9 Westminster.

The first time Linganore girls basketball coach Brian Matthews saw Cara Consuegra play ball, she was a fourth-grader in the middle of a pick-up game against older players -- boys and girls, some in the ninth grade."

Nothing sails over Heather Landis' head - even if she is 5 feet, 4 inches tall. As the standout point guard for Chapelgate's girls basketball team, Landis has heard all the taunts about her petite frame. Then again, when you're a two-time All-County player for a school that has won the past two Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference titles, you're bound to be the center of attention. So when opposing players and fans toss smack at her like guests with rice at a wedding, Landis doesn't shy away from the jeers.

Life has been a bumpy ride for Georgia Gould. Her path is cobbled with rough terrain - rocks and roots, stumps and streams - but she glides across it. What more could you ask of America's top-ranked mountain biker? "I get paid to ride my bicycle through the woods," said Gould, who was raised in Baltimore. "That's the coolest thing. It's the best job ever." At 28, she spends her time churning through the wilderness, pedaling 20 miles a day up fire roads and down ski trails in preparation for the Olympics.

That Randallstown senior Demon Brown is having such a phenomenal season -- averaging 26.5 points, 9.5 assists and three steals -- is admirable on its own.The fact that in his first season of organized basketball -- last winter -- he made first-team All-Metro, averaging 22.5 points and 6.2 assists, makes his achievements even more commendable."

PERRYVILLE - He lives in a weathered trailer on Route 40. Next door is a tow-truck company where silver-haired Bill Ripken toils, eight hours a day, six days a week, answering the phones and emptying the trash. At 75, the Iron Man's uncle won't call it quits. It's the Ripken work ethic. "I've got to do something with my time," says the retired bank vice president, who, like the rest of his kin, can't bear being idle. "What am I supposed to do, sit around and watch TV?" William Kennedy Ripken is the forgotten Ripken, the outfielder who bounced around in the Brooklyn Dodgers' chain in the late 1940s while his sibling, Cal, was still a youngster.

Mark Reynolds, who spent the past two seasons as a starting corner infielder with the Orioles, has agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $6 million plus incentives with the Cleveland Indians, according to an industry source. Reynolds, 29, hit .221 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs in 135 games last year after a 2011 season in which he hit a team-leading 37 homers in 155 games. The Orioles held an $11 million option on Reynolds for 2013 that the club declined this offseason, preferring instead to buy it out for $500,000.